BENTLEY RETURNS TO PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE FOR 2016

At least two Bentley Continental GT3s will enter the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge as Bentley Team Absolute announces a programme including entries from young American rising star Andrew Palmer and one of Asia’s top sportscar drivers, Adderly Fong.

The Pirelli World Challenge is a 20-round GT championship comprising 50-minute-long, single-driver races on eleven of America’s most historic and iconic race tracks, including Laguna Seca and Road America. The Continental GT3 has taken race wins in the championship this year and Bentley Team Absolute is looking to continue the race car’s success in the States.

The campaign will run alongside the team’s GT Asia Series programme, in which it aims to retain its teams’ championship-winning title while claiming the drivers’ championship title.

“We’ve won major international championships in Europe and Asia this year and it is certainly the plan to take a title in America,” comments Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush. “Bentley Team Absolute has proven they have what it takes, so we are excited to take our relationship into another continent to take on another challenge.”

“We are pleased to have Adderly back for a second season and look forward to welcoming Andrew into the Bentley fold,” continues Gush. “We have been very impressed with Andrew, not only did he become the youngest ever overall race winner in Pirelli World Challenge in 2014 but he has shown great maturity and talent in 2015 and we look forward to working with him to develop his career further.”

Bentley Team Absolute’s Team Director, Ingo Matter, comments:

“We’re delighted to confirm this additional programme. It’s a major new market for our team and we couldn’t be happier to be doing it with Bentley. Our experience in Asia with the Bentley Continental GT3s will give us a major boost. We’re sure that the combination of Adderly’s experience with the car and Andrew’s experience in the Pirelli World Challenge will also add further layers of confidence to the programme.”

Despite being new to Bentley, 21-year old Palmer has completed a season in Pirelli World Challenge and impressed in his debut Blancpain Endurance Series season racing against the Bentley Motorsport factory team.

25-year old Fong is no stranger to the Continental GT3, as he and his Bentley Team Absolute team-mates took the racecar’s first teams’championship-win in GT Asia Series earlier this year.

While the two-car programme is confirmed, the team is in talks with several drivers regarding a third entry.

The Pirelli World Challenge kicks off at the Circuit of the Americas on 3 March 2016.